Review 16. A.C Gaughen – Scarlet.

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Rating:

This book is a re-read for me, since it was our book club pick for this month. I recently won a copy of Scarlet and I’ll be getting Lady Thief soon, so it was a perfect timing! I’m very happy to rediscover this book and my love for it. Not to mention the fact that I’m ashamed for my previous review, so I’m more than happy to write another one.This book shines when it comes to characters. They are fleshed out and they all grew on me. Let’s get started with Scarlet, a kick-ass girl who pretends to be a boy. She has a strong mind, is intelligent, fierce and has a way with words. She suffers from guilt about things that happened in the past and she tries to sacrifice everything for others. Her secret prevents her from being completely honest to her boys and she often shuts them out. I liked how she stood up for herself and she has crazy skills with her knives. This is a character I would use as a role model for girls.

The boys are adorable. They feel like they need to protect Scarlet, no matter what, and she hates it. It shows how much they care about her. John is the big, tough guy with a very small heart. Some people were annoyed by his presence in the romance, but I never had any doubts about it. John is great, but he is no match for the chemistry between Scarlet and Rob. You know they love each other, but they still need to figure it out themselves. Cute, but it never takes over. Rob, is a wonderful leader. He feels his people and I always admire such characters. He does everything to keep his people save. There is also Much, the boy with a low self-esteem after losing his hand. He teaches us that everyone can be a hero. Every secondary character plays an essential role – exactly how I like it.

The dynamic between these friends isn’t the only thing I love. There is an interesting plot going on. The ‘Hood’ is stealing to feed his people and the Sheriff is tired of him. He has hired a man everyone should fear: the thief taker. This man would make me pie my pants. From his ruthless behavior to his cold looks, I would be so scared. He is a perfect, complex villain. And he played an important role in Scarlet’s past. A past that is catching up on her.. Figuring everything out was a lot of fun and I’m extremely excited for Lady thief.